The present invention relates to a method of heating a re-packaged frozen entree with microwave radiation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for heating a pre-packaged frozen entree with microwave radiation so that the heated entree exhibits improved taste and/or appearance characteristics.
Prepared foods that allow consumers to decrease the time and effort needed to prepare meals are popular with consumers. These prepared foods commonly include multiple components, such as meat, vegetable, pasta rice, or sauce, that are packaged in a single container.
Even though the prepared foods enable consumers to avoid much of the preparation time associated with home-cooked foods, consumers expect prepared foods to exhibit taste and appearance characteristics that are similar to home-cooked foods. A prior art frozen entree includes three boil-in bags in which the vegetable, pasta, and sauce food components are individually packaged. The boil-in bags containing the vegetable and pasta food components are heated with microwave radiation for a first time interval. Then, the boil-in bags containing the vegetable, pasta, and sauce food components are heated with microwave radiation for a second time interval.